8
CONFIDENTIAL
Mr Youde Mr N. Youl
Sir D Watson
Watson
PSXPOS
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No. 51
15 JAN 1974
HKK 6/548/11
LAGT
10
HRR 6/578
13
RE:
NEXT
HONG KONG: SIR P REILLY RF
HKK 6/548/1.
1973.
Flag AKK
Flag B HKK 6/548/14
147
13
Flag Clo
Flag D (13)
Crowfoon,
1. Goodfell for
then PIA
"/
On 27 November Sir T Brimelow wrote to Sir Patrick Reilly
in reply to the latter's letter of 31 October covering various
questions arising from the London Chamber of Commerce Mission to
Japan and Hong Kong. Sir A Part has also written in reply to
the same letter. Sir P Reilly has since written again to
Sir T Brimelow.
2.
In his most recent letter Sir P Reilly has returned to the
point about the projection of Britain in Hong Kong and repeated
his view that HMG should be more active in putting over the UK
case. I have discussed this again with Mr Brinson. Our joint view
is that, apart from some translation problems which are being
dealt with on other papers, the Trade Commission in Hong Kong is
doing a good job with its existing staff in its basic information
effort. The Trade Commission in general and the Information Officer
in particular have a good working relationship with the Hong Kong
Government Information Services. It would be possible to mount
a greater "projection of Britain" effort with greater resources.
But that is not the real problem. This lies in bilateral issues
such as Sterling, the Community's GSP, textiles and the death penalty
where there is a potential conflict between us and Hong Kong.
3.
Irritating though it is that the British case receives
little attention in the Hong Kong media, a campaign to put the
record straight, mounted from the Trade Commission, would not work
/and could
CONFIDENTIAL